I first met Charlie during the summer of 2012. My house had been on the market since 2006 with a few people looking at it but no one interested in buying. It was a very daunting time in real estate history due to the general economy so I was not surprised, but felt it would be good to have a new realtor and some different pictures in the advertisements.

After a tour of the house and yard his reaction was: "you have a very nice piece of property, but - may I be truthful? [Yes, of course.] It won't show well." This precipitated several weeks in which he, and his wife Fran, became the most helpful folks I could ever hope to meet. They told me exactly how to arrange the furniture to be more appealing and Charlie took fabulous pictures which made the house look even more wonderful. His skill in putting down a written description for the ad is outstanding too, giving every point in an attractive way. After all that, he maintained contact steadily until the right people came along. The housing market was still extremely slow.

A potential buyer did show up in the last week of Feb. 2013. Charlie coordinated all the meetings and showings, keeping me well informed, making trips to the house and my office when papers needed to be exchanged but the e-mail was not convenient, and above all explaining everything clearly. When the closing actually happened on May 2nd, Charlie was nearly as happy as I was, and I know that without all his work it would not have been possible. However, his work did not end there. He offered to continue working with me as I searched for my next home.

I was interested in buying a piece of land to build a new house, smaller and more energy efficient. Charlie found more than a dozen lots in the area that fit my size requirements. One of them felt ideal right from my first visit, so he was soon doing the negotiations. His continuing supply of helpful advice and boundless energy, doing a great deal of legwork, brought all the contingencies to a satisfactory conclusion. Our second closing was also a joyous occasion except for the fact that our business together had come to an end. Charlie asked me to be sure to invite him and Fran to see the new house when it's ready for company. They'll be first on my list!